Thermostats



Aug. 12, 1958 J. s. FRElsMuT-i THERMOSTATS Filed Nov. '7, 1956 INVENTOP nited States Patent O THERMOSTATS Application November 7, 1956, Serial No. 620,905

2 Claims. (Cl. 236-345) This invention relates ,to `thermostatic valve devices, as forexample valve devices useful in the cooling system of internal combustion engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved thermostatic valveidevice which isrelatively simple to manufacture and assemble.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved thermosensitive valve device which 'is particularly adapted for use in the water cooling systems lof automobile internal combustion engines and which may be easily and economicallyinstalled therein.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a valve of the foregoing character which is smaller in size than previous corresponding thermostatic valve devices.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved thermostatic by-pass type valve wherein the thermostatic device which opens vthe valve in response to temperature increasesis resiliently mounted in the valve l seat, whereby to prevent damage to the'valve in the event ofexcessively high Huid temperatures.

A further object is to provide a thermostatic valve of the foregoing character which is not alected by changes in the pressure of `the coolant flowing therethrough.

A still further object is toprovide'in combination with a thermostatic by-pass valve of the foregoing character, a coolantby-pass outlet system for the valve in which the space for free ow of coolant into the outlet passage will be reduced as the valve opens and thereby tend to force a larger ilow of coolant through the Valve opening.

Other objects `of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilicationwhercin like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows `afcross sectional view of one embodiment of this` invention positioned in a cooling system for an internal combustion engine.

Fig.` 2 shows a top view of the assembled valve of this invention.

Fig.` 3 is atop plan view of`a valveseat member 26 employed in the Fig. 1 embodiment.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a portion of the main line in a cooling water jacket 10 for an internal combustion engine such as an automobile engine. A fitting 12 is suitably bolted tothe discharge face 14 of the jacket 10. Face 14 is annularly recessed at 16 about the periphery of the discharge opening 18 for the reception of sealing means shown as gasket 20. Discharge opening 18 also acts being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it isv Mice as inlet wall means for fitting 12. Likewise the adjacent face of the tting 12 s annularly recessed at 22 about the periphery of the inlet opening 24 to accommodate the seating edge of the valve seat member 26.

Valve seat member 26 includes an annular portion 28 which serves to seat the free edge 30 of inverted cup member 32. The central portion of valve seat member 26 is indented in an upstream direction and has a central opening 34 therethrough to form an annulus 36. Between annulus 36 and annular seating rim 28 there are ports 38 for the passage of coolant therethrough. Ports 38 are formed by spider leg means 40 connecting annulus 36 to the annular rim 28.

Cup member 32 has its side wall or shell 42 inslidable union with a bushing member 44 seated in opening 46 in wall 47 of fitting 12.- Wall 47 forms a by-pass passageway 45 to the engine and a take-ofi passageway 49 to the radiator cooling means. Flow of coolant in passages 45 and 49 is in the direction of arrows 48 and 50.

In Fig. l, the wall opening 46 in the circulating system is downstream of the take-ofi line 49 and upstream of the by-pass line 45. End 52 of cup 32 is centrally indented in an upstream direction and has a central-opening 54 formed therethrough in annulus 56. Interconnecting annulus 56 and wall 42 are spider legs 60 which serve to define ports or annular openings 58 for the passage of coolant therethrough to the by-pass passageway 48, shown inFig. 2.

In order to move cup 32 there is provided a temperature responsive means shown as a thermostatic piston power element 60 which may be constructed as shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,636,776. The illustrated power element is 'particularly adapted to lt in small diameter ow passages Further the illustrated power element is less subject to loss of calibration due to coolant pressure variation.

Power element 60 preferably includes a container 62 adapted to be seated by means of a shoulder 63 on the upstream side of annulus 36 in the valve seat member 26. Attached at one end of container 62 is a sleeve 64 which is adapted to slidably extend through central opening 34 in valve seat'member 36. Slidably positioned in and extending out of a central bore 66 in sleeve 64 is a piston element 68 which has a ange 70 extending radially therefrom. The outer end of piston 68 has a threaded portion 72 which extends through opening 54 in cup 32 and is operably attached to annulus 56 thereof by means of a nut 74. The inner end of piston 68 is in pressure communication with an anti-extrusion disk 78 and elastomeric plug 79. An elastic diaphragm 81 is positioned between plug. 79 and thermally expansible material 76. The temperature responsive means 60 has its thermosensitive end resiliently mounted on annulus 36 by means of a coil spring 80 maintained under compression by being seated between the downstream side of annulus 36 and a detachably axed C-shaped retainer 82 extending radially from sleeve 64.

Cup member 32 is operably attached to the valve seat member 26 by means of a coil spring 84 axially aligned with and coiled around the compression spring 80 and maintained under tension by having its downstream endmost convolution 86 xedly retained or anchored between the piston flange 70 and the annulus 56 by nut 74, and by having its other endmost convolution 88 iixedly retained or anchored by three spider legs 90. Spider legs 90 are cut and hooked adjacent the rim edge 28 to llexibly retain the coil spring 84. Legs 90 are located at intermediate points between legs 40. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 member 26 is provided with six spider legs. The alternate three of these legs act as reinforcing means 40 for the annular shoulder 36 and the remaining alternate three act as anchoring means 90 for the tension coil spring means 84. Legs 90 are positioned in alignment with legs 60 and are thus not visible in Fig. 2. Tension spring 84 tendsto close the cup 32 Aagainst seat member 26.

During operation of the thermostatic by-lpass type valve of this invention and `whenthe temperature ofthe coolant is below the thermosensitive range of the temperature deformable medium 76, cup 32 will be closed against the rim 28 of its valve seat member 26 and coolant will then only flow from 'the inlet passageway 92 through the Vannular openings 38 inthe valve seat member 26 `and out of the cup member 32 through its -annular openings 58 and into the by-pass passageway 4S back to -the engine. No coolant is permittentto flow through the bypass-valve opening into the A'talc-e-ot'passageway 49 to the radiator.

`However when the coolant is ata temperature which is within or above the thermosensitive range of the deformable medium 76, it will cause themedium 76 to expand and work against the deformable ldiaphragm 78, which in turn will push piston68 out of the central opening 66. In this manner the power element 60 will raise cup member 32 off the rim 28 of its valveseat-26 and permit coolant to flow through'the opening formed thereby into the take-off passageway 49 to the -cooling means.

It is a preferred modification of thisv invention to have the ported end of the cup 32 in spaced distance relationship with the by-pass wall protrusion 94, so that when the piston 68 raises the cup 32 off the valve seat, the space for'free flow-of coolant intopassage 45 will be reduced and thereby tend to force a larger flow of coolant through the valve opening between the valve seatvmember 26 and the free edgezend 30 of thelcup 32 into passage 49. It is also a preferred feature of this invention to have the thermoresponsive means 60 resiliently mounted inthe valve seat-member 26. With suchamounting, if thecoolant temperaturey should become so high thatcup 32 exerts a high pressure on wall-portion 94, sleeve 64 will slide downwardly inannulus 36 so as to prevent damage to any of the working mechanisms.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an engine cooling system; wall means forming an inlet passage; a first opening in said wall means; a second wall cooperating with the first-'wall means to define a first discharge passage;.a second opening in said second wall in axial alignment with the first opening; a third wall cooperating with the second wall to define a second discharge passage and an abutment surface in registry with the second opening; a plate mounted in said first opening; said plate having a central opening and at least one fluid ow opening therethrough; a cylindrical valve element slidably extending through `said second opening for reciprocable movement between the plate and the abutment surface so as to inversely vary the fluid ow into the discharge passages; a thermostatic power element including a cup positioned in the inlet passage and a sleeve freely extending from said cup throughthe central opening in the plate; thermally expansible material within the cup; a piston slidably positioned in the sleeve for outward axial movement in response to expansion of the expansible material; means connecting the piston with the cylindrical valve element; tension spring means between the piston-cylindricalvalve element assembly and plate for urging the piston into the sleeve on uid temperature decrease; means forming a shoulder on the sleeve; 4Vand compression spring means between said shoulder and the'plate for mounting the power element while permitting the power element sleeve to slide in the plate central opening if the fluid temperatures should become sutiiciently high to cause the cylindrical valve element to exert more than a predetermined pressure on the abutment surface.

2. In an engine cooling system; wall means forming an inlet passage; a first opening in said wall means; a second wall cooperating with the first wall means to deline a first `discharge passage; a second opening in said second wall in axial alignment with the rst opening; a thirdwall :cooperating with the'second wall to dene a second discharge .passage .and an abutment surface in registry with the second opening; a plate mounted in said first. opening; said plate including anv outer ,annular portiondening .a valve surface, aninner annularportion defining a central opening, and a series of legs interconnecting the annular-portions to denefluid-flow openings; a cylindrical valve Yelernentslidably extending .through said second opening forreciproca'ble movement. between the plate Aand the abutment surface so as to inversely vary the uid flow into the dischargepasasges; a thermo- -static power element including. a cup positioned in the inlet passage and asleeve freelyextendingufrom said cup through the central opening in the .plate;.`thermally expansible material .within the cup;fa pistonslidably positioned in the sleeveforoutwa'rd axialmovement in response to expansion of -the expansible material; means connecting the piston with the cylindricallvalve element; some of theaforementioned legs .being cutthrough and deformed to provide hooks; atension spring extending from lthe piston-cylindrical valve ,element assembly into connection with the hooks so as to urge -the piston into `the sleeve on fluid temperature decrease; .means forming a shoulder on the sleeve; and compression `spring means between .said shoulder and. the plate for mounting the power element while permitting the power element sleeve toslide in the plate central opening .if the fluid ktemperatures should become suiciently hig'hfto cause .the cylindrical valve elementto ,exert more .than a predetermined pressure on the abutment surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,986,235 Mayo Ian. 1, 1935 2,165,136 Giesler etal. July-4, 1939 '2,636,776 Vernet Apr. 28, 1953 2,754,062 Von Wangenheim .Iuly 10, l1956 

